How staff can manage cases of infectious diseases in Childcare Settings
Preventing the spread of infectious diseases is imperative in childcare settings. As we know children are prone in picking up infectious diseases. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure necessary steps are in place to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. If childcare settings fail to adhere their policies and procedures this can lead to an outbreak, with the possibility of settings having to close. There is a guide that is available to settings, it contains the following advice
- preventing the spread of infections
- which diseases to vaccinate for
- how long to keep children away from school
- managing infectious diseases
- cleaning the environment
As childcare settings are one of the common places for infections to spread, staff need to be fully aware of how to manage this. Having notices displayed for parents to refer is not always enough. It is good practice to provide parents with a copy of your exclusion period procedure, detailing when children must be absent from nursery.Following hygiene practice is essential, regular handwashing and cleaning of toys can help prevent the spread of the infection. Noticing children that are unwell and contacting parents to collect their child can also prevent the risk of it spreading.
As there are many types of infectious diseases, it is good practice to regularly review the common ones and note the signs and symptoms, this will then help when dealing with a child that is unwell. for example identifying croup can often go unmissed as a bad cough, however, children suffering from Croup can be very poorly.
Why not take a look at the guidance that is available and help reduce the spread of infections within your childcare setting